November 15, 2006
Kathleen Stanton, Bethel Regional Public Health Center provides just-in-time training for event volunteers.
Thanks to large participation from YKHC employees and the Bethel community, last month’s Mass Dispensing Exercise at the Bethel Armory was a great success.
More than 750 participants walked through the free flu shot clinic October 28, with more than 600 getting the influenza vaccine.
This exercise allowed the Bethel community to practice mobilizing together to respond to a simulated emergency.
“By planning for this event and gathering the resources and people needed to make it successful, we were able to test our readiness to respond in situations where we may need to have a mass dispensing clinic,” said Chris Ho, YKHC’s Public Information Officer.
Mass dispensing exercises have recently been held in other communities in Alaska and nationwide as well.
“Offering free influenza vaccine at the event was a great way for us to make it easy for people to get their flu shots, plus it allowed us to test our capacity to give a large number of people a vaccine quickly and efficiently,” Ho said.
It took participants on average less than 10 minutes to move through the clinic. Up to four lines at a time were set up for people to sign up, get their vaccine, and move through the clinic as quickly as possible. Staffed with nearly 90 volunteers, the clinic staff tested emergency response procedures that might be needed in an actual emergency.
A review of survey responses from participants found reactions to be overwhelmingly positive, with several instances of people reporting that the clinic was the most organized event they had ever attended in Bethel.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this event. Many valuable lessons were learned that will help the community of Bethel improve its efficiency in responding to future emergencies.
Quyana
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, the Bethel Regional Public Health Center and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation would like to thank the Bethel community for a successful community Mass Vaccination Exercise on October 28!
Special thanks go to the following groups, who helped us make this a success!
Bethel Alternative Boarding School
Bethel Amateur Radio Operators
Bethel Chamber of Commerce
Bethel City Council
Bethel Fire Department
Bethel High School
Brother’s Pizza
Kilbuck Elementary School
National Guard Armory
Subway
Swanson’s Grocery